Well-Fracture Model for Multiphase Flow Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional reservoir modeling techniques face challenges in accurately simulating hydraulic fractures due to high computational requirements and inaccuracies caused by finely spaced grids, which are necessary to capture microscale phenomena, leading to instabilities and increased resource demands.
Innovation Solution
The development of a well-fracture model that iteratively solves systems of equations for multiphase flow in a porous medium, between a wellbore and a fracture, and between a reservoir and a fracture, allowing for the modeling of fractures as part of a well model or a reservoir model, thereby reducing the need for finely spaced grids and alleviating computational burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If finely spaced grids are used to capture microscale phenomena in hydraulic fractures, then measurement precision and manufacturing precision are improved, but device complexity and use of energy increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The model segments the hydraulic fracture system into distinct components (fracture network, wellbore, reservoir) with separate governing equations for each, allowing independent solution strategies that avoid the need for uniformly fine grids across the entire domain
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from spatial discretization (grid-based approaches) to a dimensional approach by treating the fracture as a distinct mathematical entity with its own coordinate system and flow equations, thereby avoiding the computational burden of resolving fracture geometry through fine spatial grids
2Measurement precision
If finely spaced grids are used to model hydraulic fractures, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time and productivity decrease due to increased computational requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The computational domain is segmented into fracture and reservoir regions with separate solution algorithms, allowing the fracture flow to be solved independently using analytical or semi-analytical methods that do not require fine spatial discretization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mathematical parameters by introducing dimensionless groups and scaling relationships that allow fracture flow to be characterized by a small number of key parameters rather than requiring resolution of all spatial details through fine grids
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional reservoir-fracture models are used with finely spaced grids, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of energy increases due to higher computational resource demands
Solution Approach 1:
The fracture modeling equations are extracted from the conventional reservoir grid system and formulated as independent mathematical relationships that can be solved separately, eliminating the need to represent fracture geometry through fine spatial grids in the reservoir model
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified mathematical representation (copy) of the fracture flow physics that captures essential behavior without requiring detailed geometric representation, thereby reducing computational energy requirements while maintaining accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
One or more computer-readable media include computer-executable instructions to instruct a computing system to iteratively solve a system of equations that model a wellbore and fracture network in a reservoir where the system of equations includes equations for multiphase flow in a porous medium, equations for multiphase flow between a fracture and a wellbore, and equations for multiphase flow between a formation of a reservoir and a fracture. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.